Corporate Legal Accountability

The Supreme Court today refused to review its September 13, 2010, ruling which had ruled that states cannot frame policies to allot mining leases outside the scheme laid down in the MMDR act and the mineral

The Supreme Court’s decision to let gram sabhas decide the fate of Vedanta’s Niyamgiri mining project will make it difficult for the government to divert forestland for industry without the consent of tribals and local population.
The apex court’s ruling on Thursday puts gram sabhas or village assemblies virtually at par with statutory and regulatory bodies, and gives a broader prism of rights to indigenous communities by defining the Forest Rights Act as more than just heritable property rights.

New Delhi: The Supreme Court today cancelled 49 leases in mines reporting maximum illegalities in Bellary, Tumkur and Chitradurga districts of Karnataka, but allowed resumption of activity in mines with

SHILLONG: The Gauhati High Court has asked the Meghalaya Government to strictly implement the directives of the Ministry of Environment & Forest pertaining to the violation of the Forest Conservation Act, 1980 by cement companies located in Jaintia hills.
The Court also directed the State Government to undertake a joint inspection of the remaining 1,140 hectares of land acquired or under the process of acquisition by the said cement companies to ascertain the status of forests and to submit the report within three months.

States government in a reply filed in Supreme Court
In its additional reply filed before the Supreme Court on February 7, in a case pertaining to the Bangalore Mysore Infrastructure Corridor (BMIC) project, the State Government has said that it has acquired ‘excess’ land to the tune of 7,709 acres towards the controversial project being executed by the Nandi Infrastructure Corridor Enterprise (NICE).

India's top court imposed a fine of Rs 100 crore ($18.40 million) on Sterlite Industries for polluting environment through its copper smelting plant in Tamil Nadu The case is unrelated to a separate order that has shut the Tuticorin plant, India's largest, since last week following complaints of a gas leak.
Despite the fine, the Supreme Court overruled an earlier order from the Madras High Court to shut down the plant over long-standing environmental concerns, the bench headed by Judge A.K. Patnaik said.

Asks state, Posco and Geomin to give written submissions by Apr 5
The Supreme Court on Thursday concluded two year long hearing on a case related to grant of mineral prospecting licence (PL) for Khandadhar iron ore mines in favour of Posco and reserved the judgment. It has directed all the parties concerned, such as the Odisha government, Posco-India and Geomin Minerals and Marketing (P) Ltd to give their written submissions by April 5.

The R&R Plans have been prepared and approved by CEC for 51 mining leases comprising of 28 Category A and 23 Category B mining leases
The ore-starved steel mills in Karnataka have some sweet news to cheer as the Supreme Court-appointed Central Empowered Committee (CEC), has recommended the resumption of mining in all Category A mining leases. The CEC has also recommended that the court may consider permitting the resumption of mining operations in Category B mining leases subject to fulfillment of certain conditions.

Supreme Court on Friday stayed the Gujarat High Court order that halted commercial production at all 12 industrial units operating in the Adani group-owned Adani Port Special Economic Zone (APSEZ) in Mundra.
A bench headed by Chief Justice Altamas Kabir, while issuing notice to the Centre through MoEF, APSEZ, Gujarat Pollution Control Board (GPCB) and other 21 parties, including the 11 other companies, stayed the Thursday's exparte HC order.

PANJIM/NEW DELHI: The Goa Foundation PIL which resulted in suspension of all mining operations in Goa is listed before the Forest Bench of the Supreme Court for Friday, but it may or may not come up as six other cases are listed before it for consideration by the Bench that meets only in the post-lunch session from 2 pm.
The petition was filed in the wake of Justice M B Shah Commission report on illegal mining in Goa, which exposed projected illegalities amounting to Rs 35,000 crore.